New Delhi, January 23: A fiery and inspiring Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was not only among the tallest leaders of our freedom movement, he was a very effective trade union leader also. Surprisingly enough, this facet of his personality did not get adequate attention among scholars and leaders of trade union movement. In his brief essay as trade union leader, he had really achieved a lot for workers, including maternity benefit.
Not many people are aware of the fact that Netaji was the President of Tata Steel Limited Workers Union in 1928. He was the third President Tata Steel Union, which was formed in 1920. During those days it was known as The Labour Association, Jamshedpur. Netaji was elected as President of All IndiaTrade Union Congress 1933.
In his avatar of a trade union leader, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was responsible for forcing the Tata Steel management to implement maternity benefit to their employees. Just imagine he fought and secured maternity benefit for Tata Steel workers more than eight decades ago. In the age of contractual job system, one can imagine how huge benefit that was then.
It goes without saying that it was a big leap forward for any trade union leader during those days to secure such a benefit for the employees. On his call, Tata steel had also witnessed first and last ever strike by theworkers in 1928. Bowing to the just demands of workers, Tata Steel management and Netaji as President of the workers union signed a historic agreement. From Tata Steel, Sir N.B. Saklatvala, Chairman, Tata Steel and Mr. C.A. Alexander, General Manager signed the agreement. Apart frommaternity benefit, this agreement had paved the way for profit sharing bonus for Tata Steel employees for the first time in 1934. Tata Steel workers got this benefit more than three decades before the Bonus Act came into being. As it is not enough, they also got retiring gratuity benefits in 1937, a full 35 years before the Payment of Gratuity Act was enacted in 1972. Understandably, only the leader of Netaji’s stature and charisma could secure so much for the welfare ofworkers.
During his tenure as head of the employees union in Tata Steel, Netaji fought tough and nail so that management also give more key positions to Indians. Before he took over the reins of Union, Tata Steel had large number of staffers from abroad holding important positions. He was really saddened to learn that company like Tata Steel discriminate Indians. Naturally this gross injustice was not acceptable to leader like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at any cost whatsoever. Hence, he fought and won.
In a letter written to the then Chairman of Tata Steel, Mr N.B. Saklatvala, on November 12, 1928, Netaji had said that “one of the most important problems before the company is that it lacks senior officials from India. Urging the management not to renew the contracts of foreign employees, Netaji had said: “I have no doubt that if you go ahead with your policy of Indianisation of Tata steel, you will be able to ingratiate yourself with your Indian employees, your countrymen as well as with public leaders of all shades of opinion”. It was only after this that Tata Steel got to see its first Indian General Manager. Earlier Indians were considered only for small posts there.
While he did not believe that only Indians take up the challenging positions in Tata Steel, he strongly felt that there is no valid justification of management to deprive them from responsible posts. He was rather shocked when he learnt that management hardly gives key positions to Indians.
Even Gandhi ji, whom Netaji always admired despite some issues, also visited Jamshedpur in order to address the workers of Tata Steel. On his visit to steel city on 8 August , 1925, he told Tata Steel workers, “I wish Tata Steel all the prosperity that it deserves and to this great enterprise every success.
–Agencies